Everton Youth Teams Thread

[johnnydawg68]

I asked this before, but I think it's worth revisiting. Over here in the states, the PL coverage is excellent and last weekend they had a pundits roundtable with Robbie Earle (ex-Wimbledon), Lee Clark (Arsenal), Kyle Martino (US International for 2 seconds), Graham LeSaux (Chelsea), and Robbie Mustoe (Boro).

Among the interesting things they discussed was the very different and challenging nature of modern football management from when they all came up. Lee Dixon talked about coming up under George Graham and the almost military style regime he ran. Today it's all about man management, and the interesting points that stood out to me were:

• 60% of the dressing room is happy because they are playing regularly.
• 30% of the dressing room plays on and off, but if they feel important and the manager takes care to let them know their role, they are fine.
• 10% are furious, playing in the reserves, and trying to recruit other players to be unhappy as well.
• With the money in today's game, players will often just tune out, or mail it in if they don't have that overwhelming desire to be the best.
• Phil Neville said "You can't yell at foreign players. In the old days SAF or Moyes would give them the hairdryer treatment, which works on English players, but not on Foreign players.

So with all that, once again, it occurs to me, why would you want a bench of part time starters or purely squad players that make Senior money, and are from overseas? With our Academy, why the hell wouldn't you give those jobs to young players who are A) Overjoyed to be there in the first place, because it's their club and they are hungry to prove themselves whenever they get an opportunity and B) They don't make so much that they can afford to be arrogant and dismissive.

I have ZERO problem buying expensive foreign players if they are going straight into the first team and they are difference makers. I do have a problem buying expensive foreigners on big wages to fill out the squad and play every once in a while.

 

[johnnydawg68]

...I'm not so sure JD.

You think even if he's injured he'll go? I would think he'll recover this summer, and other clubs would be leery of taking him until they see him play like the old Liam again.

That's just a guess though.

 

[Eggs]

Didn't see it.

If Dowell didn't shine I wouldn't worry. The lad requires decent seasoned players around him with very good movement to give him something to pass to.

...he's definitely got a bit of gold dust in his left foot. I love how he delivers a pass behind the back four, sublime. He did that again last night. He's also got a bit of Sheedy about from dead balls and shooting from range. I think he's classy but he does drift out of games.

 

[johnnydawg68]

I'd have my house on Walsh having a better career than Williams. Good player that he is walsh is a class above

Mate, I'm as big a Walsh fan as there is, but the writing is on the wall with Koeman. I was simply reserving my statement for players I thought would make it at EVERTON. Many of these lads will make it elsewhere and Walsh in particular I have no doubt will go somewhere else and make a name for himself.

 

[Eggs]

You think even if he's injured he'll go? I would think he'll recover this summer, and other clubs would be leery of taking him until they see him play like the old Liam again.

That's just a guess though.

...possibly but a metatarsal will be seen as recoverable. I know a number of Championship clubs were sniffing around last summer.

 

[johnnydawg68]

...he's definitely got a bit of gold dust in his left foot. I love how he delivers a pass behind the back four, sublime. He did that again last night. He's also got a bit of Sheedy about from dead balls and shooting from range. I think he's classy but he does drift out of games.

He had a back heel in the box last night towards the end that near took my breath away. 99% of the players in today's game wouldn't even try that, let alone nearly pull it off.

We discussed this, but he would have been at the top of the list if RM was still here.

 

[johnnydawg68]

...possibly but a metatarsal will be seen as recoverable. I know a number of Championship clubs were sniffing around last summer.

Perhaps wishful thinking on my part then. Hopefully if he goes, it's a season long loan.

The absolute worst case scenario is we allow Walsh to leave on a perm, Koeman moves on, and the next manager has a style that would have fit him perfectly.

 

[Moonlight dribbler]

Didn't see it.

If Dowell didn't shine I wouldn't worry. The lad requires decent seasoned players around him with very good movement to give him something to pass to.

Ah the old, no one is on his wavelength argument. He only looks bad because he is amongst poor plyers.

This argument can be reversed too. He only looks good because he stands out amongst the poor players.

 

[johnnydawg68]

Ah the old, no one is on his wavelength argument. He only looks bad because he is amongst poor plyers.

This argument can be reversed too. He only looks good because he stands out amongst the poor players.

I think it's way more likely to be the former. He's got the skill. The question is whether he's Gerry D and Aiden McGeady, or Dele Ali who was playing at MK Dons, and as soon as he goes to Spurs, becomes maybe the best player in England.

 

[Nymzee]

I asked this before, but I think it's worth revisiting. Over here in the states, the PL coverage is excellent and last weekend they had a pundits roundtable with Robbie Earle (ex-Wimbledon), Lee Clark (Arsenal), Kyle Martino (US International for 2 seconds), Graham LeSaux (Chelsea), and Robbie Mustoe (Boro).

Among the interesting things they discussed was the very different and challenging nature of modern football management from when they all came up. Lee Dixon talked about coming up under George Graham and the almost military style regime he ran. Today it's all about man management, and the interesting points that stood out to me were:

• 60% of the dressing room is happy because they are playing regularly.
• 30% of the dressing room plays on and off, but if they feel important and the manager takes care to let them know their role, they are fine.
• 10% are furious, playing in the reserves, and trying to recruit other players to be unhappy as well.
• With the money in today's game, players will often just tune out, or mail it in if they don't have that overwhelming desire to be the best.
• Phil Neville said "You can't yell at foreign players. In the old days SAF or Moyes would give them the hairdryer treatment, which works on English players, but not on Foreign players.

So with all that, once again, it occurs to me, why would you want a bench of part time starters or purely squad players that make Senior money, and are from overseas? With our Academy, why the hell wouldn't you give those jobs to young players who are A) Overjoyed to be there in the first place, because it's their club and they are hungry to prove themselves whenever they get an opportunity and B) They don't make so much that they can afford to be arrogant and dismissive.

I have ZERO problem buying expensive foreign players if they are going straight into the first team and they are difference makers. I do have a problem buying expensive foreigners on big wages to fill out the squad and play every once in a while.

Koeman isn't an idiot. He has a squad of players and he'll bring in starters. If he needs to bring people in to fill up then he's said himself he first looks to the academy before looking in the market. If a senior foreign player is brought in to fill the squad out it simply means he thinks they're better at that moment in time than the academy lads.

I'd love a squad of homegrown talent but I also want to see Everton as a club progress which means we need the best players available in the squad whether they're bought in or homegrown.

 

[johnnydawg68]

Koeman isn't an idiot. He has a squad of players and he'll bring in starters. If he needs to bring people in to fill up then he's said himself he first looks to the academy before looking in the market. If a senior foreign player is brought in to fill the squad out it simply means he thinks they're better at that moment in time than the academy lads.

I'd love a squad of homegrown talent but I also want to see Everton as a club progress which means we need the best players available in the squad whether they're bought in or homegrown.

Didn't mean it as a dig to Koeman, it's more of a general conversation piece. I did see his comment to the effect that he wouldn't bring in a backup to block a youth player, and it was extremely heartening.

 

[Lanolin]

On Dowell, I have to say I've not been impressed with him in his senior outings. He's undoubtedly got skill, but he looks to me like the sort of player who revels in the time and space he is afforded in junior football, where you can knock the ball 5 or 6 yard in front of you and run after it, or take 3 players out with a quick drop of the shoulder. When I've seen him against older players he's looked a bit short of genuine class. Those spaces he's used to are getting closed down much quicker, people aren't falling for the little tricks that his peers do.

He's still got plenty of time on his side so I'm not writing him off, but it certainly hasn't surprised me that he's not got a look in this season.

 

[Moonlight dribbler]

I think it's way more likely to be the former. He's got the skill. The question is whether he's Gerry D and Aiden McGeady, or Dele Ali who was playing at MK Dons, and as soon as he goes to Spurs, becomes maybe the best player in England.

Absolutely, just playing devil's advocate really. It's big business, so the manager has to play it carefully with young players. I think Koeman is ambition personified and he is results oriented, and so will play his best available players. If they are good enough and not likely to lose their head under pressure, they will play.

 

[Nymzee]

Didn't mean it as a dig to Koeman, it's more of a general conversation piece. I did see his comment to the effect that he wouldn't bring in a backup to block a youth player, and it was extremely heartening.

I know just saying it's an unlikely scenario at our football club whilst Koeman is here at least. We've never spent for the sake of it anyway in my lifetime.

 

[Nymzee]

On Dowell, I have to say I've not been impressed with him in his senior outings. He's undoubtedly got skill, but he looks to me like the sort of player who revels in the time and space he is afforded in junior football, where you can knock the ball 5 or 6 yard in front of you and run after it, or take 3 players out with a quick drop of the shoulder. When I've seen him against older players he's looked a bit short of genuine class. Those spaces he's used to are getting closed down much quicker, people aren't falling for the little tricks that his peers do.

He's still got plenty of time on his side so I'm not writing him off, but it certainly hasn't surprised me that he's not got a look in this season.

Have to disagree. Was top class vs Norwich last season and in the senior pre-season games.